John Donahue, Deshi

Deshi

John Donahue

St. Martin's, Feb 2005, $23.95, 256 pp.

ISBN 0312288075

Edward Sakura sees the man in his shodo hut on his Brooklyn estate and knows the intruder is going to kill him. Before he dies, he creates a message in calligraphy that reads "spring wind." The police think it is a clue to his murderer and one of the lead detectives brings his brother, martial arts expert Connor Burke, into the investigation since he is an expert in things Asian. It is learned that Sakura has sent a calligraphic scroll to Professor Hoddington in Georgia for an evaluation.

The evidence shows the professor ends up murdered by the same person who killed Sakura. The school journalist Kim who gave the scroll to Sakura is found tortured and dead. The man Connor suspects killed the three men is also interested in Connor's Sensei's friend, Tibetan monk Changpa Ripache. The killer has ties to the People's Republic of China security forces but they don't know why China would be interested in one outspoken monk. All these events seem to tie back to Kita Tekenobo, an expert in martial arts who wants the scroll destroyed. At an isolated gathering, all the principal players come together but not all of them will leave alive.

DESHI is a fascinating thriller that gives readers an in-depth look at those who practice the martial arts and how mysticism plays a role in the making of a warrior. The protagonist has been tutored by his sensei for many years, yet still realizes he has a lot to learn, especially how the interaction of Eastern philosophy and mysticism creates warriors. The plight of Tibet and the Chinese attempts to destroy Buddhism and the monks who practice it add depth to this creative work of suspense.

Harriet Klausner